The Willamette Falls Canal & Locks A memo for the Willamette Falls Locks State Task Force Presented on January 12, 2016 By the Willamette Falls Locks Working Group Photo courtesy of Sandy Carter, One Willamette River Coalition Table of Contents Letter from the Working Group 01 Executive Summary 02 History of the Willamette Falls Locks Working 04 Group Mission Statement 04 Makeup 04 Timeline 05 Current Status of the Willamette Falls Locks 07 USACE Point of Contact 07 Non-operational Status 07 Closure Studies 07 Partners with Resolutions Supporting the Repair 08 and Reopening of the Locks Active Business Partners 08 Advocacy and Historical Timeline of the 09 Willamette Falls Canal & Locks Advocacy Timeline 09 Historical Timeline 12 Appendix 15 January 12, 2016 Dear Willamette Falls Locks State Task Force: On behalf of the Willamette Falls Locks Working Group, thank you for joining the State Task Force established by Senate Bill 131. The Willamette Falls The Willamette Falls Locks are an important historic and navigational resource to Locks Working Group the entire Willamette Valley. Located in Clackamas County, within the City of Clackamas County West Linn, the Locks unite the upper and lower Willamette River. At one time, it served as an important commercial resource for Oregon by transporting wheat, Metro Regional paper, passengers, and nearly 1.5 million commercial tons of timber per year from Government the upper Willamette River to national and global destinations downstream. City of Milwaukie Though the timber economy in Oregon has changed dramatically, we still believe City of Oregon City the Willamette Falls Locks remains an important tool to Oregon’s infrastructure. City of West Linn The Locks also unite the upper and lower sections of the newly designated State Willamette Falls Heritage Area, which encompasses the center of activity for City of Wilsonville Native Americans west of the Cascade Mountains and the origin of American eNRG Kayaking civilization west of the Rockies. Portland General Electric Senate Bill 131 requires you to compile valuable information, consider means of facilitating the repair and reopening the facility, develop a plan for sustainable Wilsonville Concrete Products operations, and consider governance models for the lease or transfer of the Locks. In this process, we hope you take time to consider not only the historical and National Trust for recreation interests that currently exist, but also to visualize the true resource the Historic Preservation Willamette Falls Locks can become, such as supporting navigation around a One Willamette River beautiful waterfall that is otherwise impassible and encouraging a transportation Coalition alternative to inspire new commercial use through a predictable and dependable locks facility. Please find this briefing booklet as a resource to help you achieve your first goal of compiling valuable information. The Willamette Falls Locks Working Group stands ready to support you as an acting agent to support the Locks “repair and reopen” efforts while you fulfill the requests set in motion by SB 131. We look forward to your findings and your renewed partnership. Sincerely, Tootie Smith, Commissioner Annette Mattson Clackamas County Portland General Electric Chair Co-Chair Executive Summary The Willamette Falls Locks Working Group (WFLWG) is a recently formed coalition of local partners whose primary goal is to see the Willamette Falls Locks repaired and reopened. Facilitated by Clackamas County, the WFLWG includes local governments, businesses, and non- profit organizations invested in the historic value and sustainable future of a working locks system. The Willamette Falls Locks opened on January 1, 1873, linking the upper and lower Willamette River. It was the first multi-lift navigational locks in the United States, and remained the oldest continuously operating multi-lock system in the nation until its closure in 2011 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The State of Oregon contributed $200,000 (or 1/3rd of the cost) in 1872 toward this private endeavor in recognition of the economic benefits that would be produced. In 1915, the Corps of Engineers brought the Locks into public ownership to relieve the users of monopolistic tolls. Once again, the State of Oregon contributed $300,000 to match the Corps’ $300,000 to deepen and update the Locks, in addition to the $375,000 which the Corps paid to purchase the Locks. Advocacy efforts continue to seek the repair and reopening of the Locks, but the USACE is constrained by laws and regulations, bureaucratic prioritization, and limited federal funding to reach this goal. The USACE, which prioritizes “navigation” projects based on commercial tonnage, places a low priority on the Locks compared to other facilities in the region, including Bonneville Dam, the John Day Locks, and dredging the Columbia River for large vessel traffic. Without a clear future identifying commercial development along the Willamette River that would produce the tonnage through the Locks to justify federal spending against larger facilities in the region, the USACE is seeking to dispose of the Locks either by means of permanent closure or transfer of ownership. Photo courtesy of Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation The pattern of closures over the past decade has reinforced this premise. The coalition of advocates supporting the Locks has been successful in raising state and local funds to take advantage of special federal appropriations to repair and intermittently operate the Locks, 2 including a total of $2.37 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds in 2009. But deferred maintenance has resulted in further deterioration and closure. This situation is common throughout the USACE system. The large dams, locks and shipping channels essential for the movement of freight on the inland waterway system of the Columbia/Snake Rivers and Mississippi/Missouri/Ohio Rivers and the maintenance dredging for the large ports (including the Port of Portland) are prioritized at the expense of small harbors (such as those on the Oregon Coast) and locks that no longer serve essential freight tonnage. Since 2002, local advocates led by Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation (WFHF) have worked to see the Locks repaired and reopened. As a partnership of stakeholders, One Willamette River Coalition (OWRC) furthered the cause by successfully lobbying for ARRA funds for inspections and repairs, and fundraising for engineering, economic, and transfer studies. In 2012, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) selected the Locks as one of their first National Treasure projects, bringing new resources and expertise to the cause. The NTHP pursued a National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 assessment, and in 2012, hired Hooley & Naito LLC to propel advocacy efforts to new heights. Recently, the USACE applied for federal funding to pursue a pilot study that would result in a “Final Disposition Report (FDR)”. The WFLWG agrees the FDR will produce enough information to assess the costs for repair and viable options for the future use of the Locks, including: An updated engineering assessment of the condition of the Canal and Locks system; A cost estimate to complete essential repairs needed for the immediate reopening of the Locks; A schedule and cost for planned rehabilitation projects into the future; A cost estimate and economic impact assessment of permanent closure and decommissioning; An analysis of economic benefits of repair, reopening and continued operation; An evaluation of alternative ownership and operating models; An evaluation of environmental, economic, social (NEPA), cultural and historic (NHPA Section 106) impacts of all undertakings such as repair, reopening and continued operation vs. decommissioning and disposal as surplus property; An assessment of the title condition of the property; An assessment of the toxic chemical clean-up requirements in the canal; and A definition of the continued regulatory requirements that will govern the operation of the canal and locks. The creation of the State Task Force by Oregon SB 131 is an encouraging achievement that seeks to increase state partnership in the efforts to find a future use of the Locks that utilizes its important navigational service and historical value to Oregon and the Willamette River Valley. The following information includes relevant history and actions of the WFLWG and advocacy partners, the current status of the Locks and a historical timeline of major events and advocacy efforts of the Locks. 3 History of the Willamette Falls Locks Working Group Mission Statement: The mission of the Willamette Falls Locks Working Group is to lead efforts with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to repair and reopen the Locks to full operation status for river travel. Makeup: Chair: Tootie Smith, Clackamas County Commissioner Co-Chair: Annette Mattson, Portland General Electric Members: Commissioner Tootie Smith, Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader, Clackamas County Councilor Carlotta Collette, Metro Councilor Karin Power, Milwaukie Commissioner Carol Pauli, Oregon City Mayor Russ Axelrod, West Linn Mayor Tim Knapp, Wilsonville Sam Drevo, eNRG Kayaking Annette Mattson, Portland General Electric Dave Bernert, Wilsonville Concrete Sandy Carter, One Willamette River Coalition (OWRC): Peggy Sigler, National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) Danielle Cowan, Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs Advocacy Partners: Michelle